Courtesy of Paris Eiffel Tower News
for the guests of
Hotel Vieux Marais
"I love Paris every moment.
Every moment of the year, I love Paris.
Why! Oh why do I love Paris?
Because my love is here..."
(Frank Sinatra) |
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Welcome to Paris! This page was designed
especially for you who may visit Paris for the first time.
The idea is to give you advices to acquaint you with the
City of Light, and help you prepare for this exciting trip.
Read on!
Prepare well
for a stroll
Once you have settled down in your comfortable hotel room
and are getting ready to take your first stroll, take
some time to dress appropriately.
First, put on a really good pair of walking shoes
to feel comfortable in the Parisian streets. Walking in
Paris means stopping often to look at amazing details and
buildings. This constant stop-and-go will wear you down
if you aren't comfy in your shoes.
Visiting the Eiffel Tower means waiting often over 30 minutes
to gain access to the ticket booth, then waiting some more
for the elevator on the way up, and waiting some more for
the elevator on the way down. So to your feet, a pair
of good shoes will make a big difference!
Parisian weather is fickle in springtime and during
fall: what starts out as a great clear day can turn rainy
and chilly in the afternoon. Pack a sweater and a rain breaker
if you are visiting during these seasons. Summer is usually
fine (70-85°F), August is generally hotter (80-95°F). Winter
is rainy and cold, almost as cold as in NYC.
In any case, take your umbrella along, it may become
your best friend -- especially if you intend to take pictures
of everything. Rain and camera lenses don't like each other.
Street-savvy
tips
Now that you're dressed and all ready to venture outside,
here are a couple of useful tips:
Avoid taking a taxi during the
day, and notably in the morning until 11:00, and in
the late afternoon from 4:00 to 8:00. Streets are jam-packed
during those periods, and seeing the meter run while you're
a sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic is a disheartening
experience.
Taxi fares: taxi meters
show your fare and one of three letters: A, B, or C. If
you are within Paris and on the ring outside Paris (the
peripheral boulevard), the A rate applies from 6:00 PM
and 8:00 PM, and the B rate turns on from 8:00 PM till
6:00 AM. When you leave Paris intra-muros, the driver
will turn on the B rate during the day and the C rate
from 8:00 PM. If you are far from Paris, the C rate always
applies. You will pay extra for every luggage you load
in the trunk and if you take the cab from an airport.
Don't try to hail a cab in the street too close to a train
station: taxi drivers can't load passengers within a 100-meter
radius from the train stations. Go to the station taxi
head instead, or further away from the station.
French people do lunch between
12:00 and 1:30 PM, and dinner between 7:30 and
10:00 PM. If you wish to avoid the crowd, lunch at 12:00
tops and dine out from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. Restaurants rarely
serve between 2:00 and 6:00 PM.
Having a drink at the terasse
of a sidewalk cafe is a necessary experience in Paris
(skip it between November and March though,except if weather
permits). However, terasse drinks are often charged premium
prices.
Although they are saddled with
a reputation, cafe waiters are not necessarily
rude: they're just in a hurry. So don't take offense if
they are impatient with you. Smile and show them what
you want on the menu. They won't return the smile, but
you will get your order quickly.
In Parisian restaurants,
it is not customary for your waiter to come back to you
once you are served to see if everything is allright:
they assume this is the case. So don't feel you are ignored:
just call the waiter when you wish to have your bread
basket replenished. If you dine out at an expensive restaurant,
waiters will tend your table diligently. Otherwise, it
won't be the case.
Gratuity: your restaurant/cafe
check already includes a 15% gratuity. If you feel like
giving an extra tip to your cafe waiter, leave EUR 1 ($.97)
on the table. In a restaurant, you may leave EUR 3-5 ($2.7-4.5,
more if you are in an expensive place) but again, that's
not expected in either case. Your credit card receipt
won't show any gratuity line.
Armed with these few basic advices, you are ready to conquer
the asphalt. On to places to visit!
Travel guide for the lovers of Paris...Let’s
discover Paris with the Parisian eyes!
www.timesofparis.com
SHOP
You can discover all the must-visit shops
in Paris, not only famous brands
but also creator's shops and small concept shops.
EAT
All
the restaurants, bistros and cafés presented
here are tested by our staff
living in Paris. From a casual French to an Upscale one,
you can find the best places to eat in Paris.
SEE
One of the most important things to do in Paris... Sightseeing!
Here you can have the updated information of Parisian
museums and monuments.
Don't forget to check it out before you leave for Paris.
EVENT
Expositions,
Opéra, Concerts, Theaters etc. There are so
many things to see in Paris. Here we introduce our selection
of the interesting events for you.
PRACTICAL INFO
How can I buy a Metro ticket? Is it possible to charge
the battery of my camera? How do I get around in Paris?
If you have any of these questions, check our 'Practical
Info'.
It makes your stay in Paris much easier, without any worries.
SPECIAL
Special reports about Paris that you will never find in
other sites.
Christmas lights of the department store, visit typical
Parisian apartements, interview of the creators...
DIARY
This is a kind of personal diary of Paris made by our
staff. Updated often.
PARIS SEEN BY
Shots of Paris taken by our staff. You can discover many
various views of this charming town.
Paris monuments
and hallmarks
| The Eiffel Tower |
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This world-famous landmark was built for the Universal
Fair of 1889, held to commemorate the centenary of
the French Revolution. It stands 1050 ft high. Admission
(elevator to the top) is EUR 9.90 for adults, EUR
5.30 for children under 12.
Opening hours: Jan 1-Jun 13: 9:30am-11pm daily (stairs:
9:30am-6pm); Jan 14-Aug 31: 9am-midnight daily.
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| Notre Dame Cathedral |
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Work on the Hunchback's gothic home began in 1163
AD and was completed circa 1345 AD. The house of God
can accommodate over 6,000 worshippers. Admission
in the Cathedral is free, going to the towers costs
about EUR 6. No elevator, people with a heart condition
should abstain.
Opening hours: 8:00AM-6:45PM daily. Towers: 9:30AM-6:45PM
daily. Masses: 8AM, 9AM, 12AM, 6:45PM.
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| Champs Elysees and the Arch of Triumph |
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The Champs Elysees avenue probably only deserves its
nickname of "most beautiful avenue in the world" for
its lower section, starting Place de la Concorde and
ending at Grand Palais. The rest of the avenue mainly
features overpriced shops and restaurants - with a
few exceptions in the side streets. Walk to the Arch
of Triumph, at the top of the avenue, and visit the
50-meter high structure built to commemorate Napoleon's
victories. Admission is about EUR 6, and free for
children under 12.
Opening hours: 9:30AM-11:00PM daily from April to
October, and 10:00AM-11:00PM daily from Nov-March.
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| Montmartre and
the Church of the Sacred Heart |
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The Romano-Byzantine basilica crowns the Montmartre
hill. Its construction began in 1875 and was completed
in 1914. Admission is free, except for the crypt and
dome (about EUR 5). For a fun ride, go to the Anvers
metro station, walk to "Rue Tardieu" and take the
"funiculaire" (a one-car train which brings you almost
to the top of the hill). Montmartre itself used to
be a village outside Paris. The hill is famous for
its architectural landmarks, its artistic life, and
more recently, for 'Amelie'. It counts no less than
7 museums! |
| Church of the
Invalides |
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Its building started in 1671 under the reign of King
Louis the XIVth, and about 30 years later. From its
inception, the place was designed to serve as a home
to impoverished soldiers and wounded veterans of the
French army. It comprises the veteran hospital itself,
a church, several museums, and the tomb of Napoleon
I. Admission is EUR 6 for adults, and free for children
under 12.
Opening hours: October to March 31: 10AM-4:45PM, April-September
30: 10AM-5:45PM
http://www.invalides.org/ |
| Sainte Chapelle |
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Located on Ile de la Cité, the construction of this
gothic church started under Louis IX in 1240 AD to
house relics believed to be Jesus's Crown of Thorns
and parts of the Holy Cross. Amongst other remarkable
details, the tall stained-glass windows which are
mainly original work. Admission is about EUR 6.
Opening hours: 10:00AM-5:00PM. |
| Place des Vosges |
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Its construction started in the early XVIIth century
under Henri IV. It was completed in 1612. Initially
named 'Royal Square', it was renamed 'Place des Vosges'
by Napoleon I as an homage to the inhabitants of the
Vosges region who had been particularly quick to pay
their taxes. The square is remarkable both by its
style (it is lined with 36 buildings, all dating from
Henri IV) and by its shops and its little park where
Parisians like to loaf on sunny Sundays. |
Find more comments on Paris landmarks and monuments at
http://www.paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/discover-paris.html.
Walking in Paris
Paris offers a number of interesting itineraries for strollers.
You can follow the waterways (river Seine, St Martin Canal,
river Bièvre) or the 17-km long railway transformed into
a most surprising walkway
hung some 50 feet above the hustle-bustle of the city.
You can also spend some quality time in any of the large
public parks which the city counts (Luxembourg, Buttes-Chaumont,
Montsouris, Georges Brassens), discover the gardens of the 14th district,
or else decide to learn live history and architecture
in areas like St-Sulpice and St Germain-des-Prés.
A lively and
interesting city
This is but a glimpse of the many places you will want
to visit during your stay in Paris. Guests of the hotel
are offered a Complimentary Pass to the Members
Only section of the Paris Eiffel Tower News website,
which features a lot more information on Paris.
The Complimentary Pass can be retrieved from the Thank
You page which displays after your reservation request
has been received by the hotel.
The hotel personnel wishes to be of service to you during
your stay in Paris.
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